


Between Bleeding Lines

by fangirls5ever



Category: Voltron - Fandom, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, Abusive Parents, Allura is still the Altean princess, Alternate Universe, Alternate universe—Alteans still exist, Angst, Eventual Fluff, F/M, Gen, Mage!Lotor, Multichapter, Weapon!Lotor, but not relationship angst, slight Soul Eater au, slight fairy tale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-05-02 20:11:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14552619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirls5ever/pseuds/fangirls5ever
Summary: Lotor just wants to be left alone in the forest, free of his father and the traitorous magic that would leave him trapped in black walls, stained red with blood.Allura needs power to save her kingdom—and she'll do anything to attain it, even if it means coaxing the legendary, reclusive mage from his woods and back to the battle he had sought to escape.---Fairy tale and slight Soul Eater au





	1. Lotor

_”Do you understand now, boy, what your selfishness has done? The ones you professed to protect, slaughtered by your own hand. You think yourself like the others, capable of emotion, of thought? Pathetic. You are a weapon, first and foremost—you are not meant to live as others do, but instead must be wielded, honed, used._

_“Only by my hand, by slaughter, are you given value.” ___


	2. Allura

Allura was, simply put, furious. There were multiple reasons for this, of course—not just anything could bother the levelheaded royal—but the combination of ruling a dying kingdom, being the last Altean royal left unaffected by poison, watching her parents slip closer to death, and being horribly lost in a forest literally named “Death in the forest,” Mors in Silva, left her halfway between screaming and sobbing.

“Useless map,” she hissed, shaking the supposedly magic item furiously. It fluttered limply with the motion, painted red lines of the forest’s trails looking distinctly less believable than they had in the tavern the night before. “How was Coran swindled so easily? He said he knew the trader from his time sailing!”

Granted, looking back on the event, perhaps neither Altean should have been so accepting of the man’s enthusiastic words. With greasy strands of hair, too-wide eyes, and eager, grasping fingers that scrabbled for the proffered silver, something truly should have tipped them off. But, unaware of the swindling, Allura had simply packed her bags, strapped her dagger to her hip, and, with map in hand, headed to the edge of the village. There, the trees became hunched and bent, spidery limbs deathly still in any wind, leaning inwards as though listening in to some great secret. Aptly named, Mors in Silva was the lovely subject of a number of village rumors, most entertaining the classic idea of a man-eating, soul-reaping beast. With coarse black fur, ivory claws, and burning yellow eyes, the creature in the tale held little interest in Allura’s mind—it was too fantastical to entertain, the idea of a monstrous shadow beast paling in her attention to the second. Allegedly, fearful of the suspicion of those around them, a mage had made their home in the forest. Calling the once-brilliant trees under their command, they had twisted them like claws, commanding the paths to close and the streams to dry. And true to the tale, riverbeds through the forest ran still, cracked branches and dust gathering in their hollows. The trees did seem to lean towards the heart of the forest, supposedly indicating the direction of the mage—and while some suggested such an effect’s use as a compass to the magical being, the forest was by no means small. Stretching from the village of Nequam where she stood to the border of the Galra kingdom, even the most experienced travelers would need at least a week to cross it on foot.

And here she was with a useless map, limited water source, and clawing feeling of desperation, stuck somewhere deep within the forest. Her stomach squirmed at the thought, fingers clutching tighter on the useless scrap of parchment. “Even if I can find my way out,” she muttered, “it’s not like anything will have changed.” Her family would still be dying. The Galra would still be drawing closer to the Castle of Lions. She would still lack the power to conquer an army.

Even if she left the forest, death would be just as certain. 

Sighing, Allura tucked the map into her pack, hoping futilely that it would somehow become useful. Without it, she had no way to navigate the forest. Not unless…

_Really? _she thought dryly, biting back a second sigh. Was she really so desperate as to resort to a second fairy tale? Already she was hunting through the woods for some magical being—wasn’t that desperate enough?__

__

__The forest was still, an eerie silence hanging about her as she stood in a small clearing, casting a quick glance about. No moss grew on the branches or trunks to point her north, and the rivers themselves promised nothing with their dry, dusty trails. Only the trees promised one consistent direction, dry branches reaching like fingers towards the heart of the forest._ _

__

__Allura pressed her palms to her face, groaning._ _

__

__Of all things, her best option to find the mage was via dead trees._ _

__

__Great._ _

__

__Taking a deep breath, Allura shook her head, long white braid brushing her shoulders as she pulled her pack farther up her shoulders. “Gods help us all,” she muttered, gaze fixing on the direction the trees listed towards. Cautiously, she took a first tentative step, the scuffing of leather the only sound in the forest as she cast a quick glance about. Nothing stirred at the movement, the branches still and the wind nonexistent. Slowly, Allura stepped forward again, walking slowly across the forest floor._ _

__

__Her kingdom was counting on her—without some form of magical assistance, Altea would fall to the Galra’s superior weaponry within weeks._ _

__

__She could not afford to fail._ _

__

__Breaths coming quicker, Allura hastened her steps, footfalls matching her heartbeat. She needed to hurry, find the mage, and bind them in a contract. She needed them to help her save her people and heal her family, to wield the same power that the Galra used to raze villages in only moments._ _

__

__Allura needed a weapon, and if the tales rang true, the mage would become just that._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nequam—worthless (Latin)
> 
> So I started another fic that probably won't ever be finished, but it was very fun to write! :D The next chapter is written, just needs to be edited, and hopefully will be finished soon.
> 
> Comments and kudos would honestly make me so happy—I can't promise an update after the next chapter, but I am hoping to continue the story. ^^ If you have any story ideas or want an update on any of my ongoing fics, please message me here or on Tumblr! Any feedback would definitely help! :D
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	3. Lotor

_He was a child when it first began, when, under his father’s touch, the witch’s probing fingers, skin faded to shadow, and bones to a starless black obsidian. His body would shift, contort, ligaments snapping and bones cracking and consciousness fading until only a sliver was left as his body was wreathed in black fog—but it would always return at the end of the transformation, flickering back to life as his eyes opened, heart beat slow and easy._

_But it was not his own eyes that he saw from, his own body with which he moved._

_From his father’s vacant yellow stare, he watched as he was held up to the light, sharp edge matte even with the violet energy crackling about its hilt. Light but sturdy, the blade was easily as big as its wielder, a contradiction to its small living form._

_“Be thankful, boy,” his father said, voice a low growl, “for few would be so understanding of such sorcery.”_

_The boy feels his consciousness waver, flickering like a candle flame as the emperor beckoned to a guard standing at the edge of the throne room. The Galra swept into a low bow, motioning to those at the doors with a gruff, “Bring him in.”_

_Those stationed at the doors complied obediently, opening the doors as a thin, ragged Altean was shoved through, the man stumbling as his knees connected with the cold marble of the throne room. His eyes were wide and frantic, darting between the emperor and the witch at his side, gaze catching on the black weapon the emperor held loosely in one hand, the metal of it seeming to drink in the very light of the room._

_His body began to shake as he rasped, “It can’t be—no, no—”_

_The guard at his side hit him savagely on the head, knocking him again to the ground. “Move,” she growled as she grabbed his arm and forced him forward. Dragging his limp body just to the edge of the dais, she pressed her arm to her chest stiffly. “Vrepit Sa,” she muttered, eyes trained on the ground as she stepped back._

_The emperor’s steps were slow, measured, as he moved towards the Altean, yellow eyes vacant. “Tell me, boy,” he said lowly, the shadows around the blade shivering at his voice, “have you ever gone farther than simple wounds? Mere scratches?” The emperor’s grip tightened around the hilt. “Do you yet know what it means to kill?”_

_The whole blade trembled at his words, trying desperately to return to its living form, fighting the walls of black stone that bound it in place. The emperor only watched as it struggled, waiting until the shadows again settled before taking the last step towards the unconscious Altean. Slowly, ever so slowly, he raised the sword above his head._

_“This is your purpose,” he said._

_And he brought the sword down with a sickening crunch. ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (comments would honestly mean so much to me, even if it's just "nice," it would help a huge amount, I have a really hard time staying motivated on my own and get really worried about my writing when there's no response)
> 
> Does the ending count as graphic depictions of violence?? I don't think it does, but comment if you do, and I'll quickly change the archive warnings ^^
> 
> Thank you so much for reading—I hope to see you next chapter :)

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr @lotura-fics


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